after the bell, good call from oracle. this could continue the tech rally. tech and banks could work. like to say there is always a bull market somewhere. i promise to try to find it. i'm jim cramer. i will see you tomorrow. >> so many kids are homeless, school buses now stop at cheap motels. >> i never really noticed what people were actually going through until now. until we're actually going through it, too. >> jacob braverman's family is going through it in one room. after they were evicted,

their neighbors took them in. >> you think all this has changed you? >> yeah, and i haven't realized it, but i think i've gotten very mature in a very short amount of time. [ticking] [train horn honking] >> chances are the electricity your tv is using comes from coal. coal, not oil, provides half the country's electricity, and there's a cost. miners die. >> they were great men. they were awesome men. >> that's why melissa lee says she's speaking out... >> thank you all. >> even though, she says, it's caused trouble for her in the cy. >> i was receiving phone calls making ugly comments that i need to shut up. [ticking] >> why are hundreds of freezing people gathering in the middle of the night in this knoxville parking lot? >> who's got number one? number one. number two? >> they're here in hopes of seeing a doctor. this is a clinic set up by remote area medical, a charity founded to bring doctors to the amazon,

but now it's a lifeline for the uninsured here at home. >> you drove 200 miles to get here? >> yes, sir. >> and slept in this parking lot for seven or more hours? >> yes, sir. >> welcome to 60 minutes on cnbc. i'm morley safer. in this edition, we look at the hard times faced by millions of americans during the economic downturn. we begin with american families falling out of the middle class. the combination of lost jobs and millions of foreclosures at the end of the first decade of the 21st century saw a lot of families homeless and hungry for the first time in their lives, and as scott pelley reported in march of 2011, one of the most disturbing consequences of the recession was the record number of children descending into poverty, the largest american generation to be raised in hard times since the great depression.

>> in seminole county, near orlando, florida, so many kids have lost their homes, school buses now stop at dozens of cheap motels where families crowd into rooms, living week to week. 11-year-old destiny corfee joined the line at this motel. >> i never really noticed what people were actually going through until now. until we're actually going through it too. >> david and theresa corfee never imagined their family homeless. together, they were making about $40 an hour detailing expensive cars. there was a three-bedroom home, vacations, extras for the kids, but both jobs went, and then the house. evicted, they found that the homeless shelters wanted to split their family up, boys and girls. >> that was definitely something that i wasn't gonna have, was being separated at a time like this. i figure at a time like this that we needed to be together more than anything. >> so david, theresa,

destiny, jorge, and chance, moved into their van. >> george climbed up here on the back seat, and destiny and chance here. >> i was embarrassed that, like, maybe one of my friends might see me. i don't want anybody to know that i was actually in there. >> where was the van parked? >> it was at a walmart. >> we would actually go in walmart and clean ourself up before we go to school. >> yeah, in the bathrooms. >> save some money. >> how would you do that? >> i would, like, wash my face, and, like, take a tissue, wash my arms and stuff. >> we would bring the toothpaste and the toothbrush and the brushes, like, so we'll go brush our hair in the mirror, and, like, people would see us, and it would be kind of weird, but we worked through it. >> tell me about the motel that you're living in now. >> well, it's a lot better than the van. >> yeah. it's really small, though. >> two rooms for the five of them. their possessions, family photos, you name it, went into storage, and they lost it all, seized and sold when they couldn't pay that bill. >> most of my stuff was in there. my scooter, my game system, all my games, my clothes.

so i lost most of my stuff, so... >> i had so many of my toys and things. my barbie dolls, clothes, and it was just all gone. >> what's the neighborhood like around the motel? >> it's scary. >> what do you mean? >> like, you hear on the news all the time about, like, shootings, and it's all right there. >> nationwide, 14 million children were in poverty before the great recession. in march, 2011, the u.s. census told us it's 16 million, up 2 million in two years. that is the fastest fall for the middle class since the government started counting. one of the areas suffering the most is otherwise advertised as "the happiest place on earth," the counties around disney world and orlando. just on highway 192, the road to disney world, 67 motels house about 500 homeless kids.

the government counts them homeless if they have only temporary shelter. in seminole county schools, 1,000 students have lost their homes. >> how many of you in the last few weeks have gone to bed hungry? >> at casselberry school, students whose families are at the poverty level or slightly above qualify for the free lunch program. we talked with some of those kids with their parents' permission. >> who can tell me what it's like to feel hungry? >> it's, like, hard. you can't sleep. you just, like, wait. you just go to sleep for, like, five minutes, and you wake up again, and your, like, stomach hurts, and you're thinking, "i can't sleep. i'm gonna try and sleep. i'm gonna try and sleep," but you can't 'cause your-- 'cause, like, your stomach's hurting, and it's 'cause it doesn't have any food in it. >> and it's like a black hole, and sometimes, when i don't eat, my stomach, you can hear it. like, it's, like, growling. you can hear it. >> usually we eat macaroni,

or we don't-- or we drink water or tea. >> my mom will sometimes, like, make food, and then she won't have enough, so at night we'll just eat cereal or something. other times, my parents will fight about money 'cause they don't have enough money to pay the food. >> we have to sometimes take food from a church. it's hard because my grandmother's also out of work, and we usually get some food from her. >> it's kind of embarrassing, because the next day, you go to school asking kids if they want this or if they want that. if they have cereal and they haven't opened it yet, you go ask them if they want their cereal. >> we found a lot of families are making a choice between food and electricity. how many of you have had the lights turned off at your house? how do you study when you don't

have the lights on at home? >> we have emergency flashlights, and i usually have to use them. >> i'll just light candles and sit around in a circle of candles. >> candles? yes, ma'am? >> i use candles because my mommy brings some. >> i go out to the car and turn on the overhead and read out there and study. >> ashley rhea raised her hand to add something that we didn't expect. >> i kind of feel like it's my fault that we don't have enough money. i feel like it's my fault that they have to pay for me and the clothes that they buy for me. [ticking] >> coming up, the long-term cost of poverty. >> this is when children are developing who they are, and their foundation is broken. >> that's ahead when 60 minutes on cnbc returns. [ticking] suddenly, she does something unexpected

and you see the woman you fell in love with.

she's everything to you. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

>> beth davalos runs the seminole county programs for homeless kids. >> our numbers go up every day. between 5 and 15 new homeless students a day. >> every day? >> every day. >> and she told us something else is new. >> when i first started this program eight years ago, homelessness lasted maybe two, three months. but now with it lasting three, six months, a year, or two years, this is when children are developing who they are, and their foundation is broken. >> how are these kids doing in school? >> they're struggling. it's much harder. they're more at risk of not doing well. they're focusing on, "how can i help mom and dad?" we have so many students that want to quit school and go to work. >> beth davalos is working to keep jacob braverman on track in school. his family lost this house suddenly in october. when he got off the bus that day, the door was locked. >> that was the last thing i expected.

>> it wasn't your house anymore. >> yeah. >> his mother, rosa, lost her job, but the eviction was a shock. the bank told rosa she had 30 days, but it was five days later that the cops moved them out. there's a lot of chaos in foreclosures all across the country because of the sheer number of them. in florida, the counties with the highest foreclosure rates see some of the biggest increases in child poverty. rosa was suddenly on the street, and like the corfees, she faced splitting up her family. >> this is what is important is--family is wherever you are together. it doesn't matter if it is in your house, if it is in one room, or in your vehicle. >> as long as you're with your family, you're going to make it through all of this that's been going on, all of it. >> do you find yourself trying to cheer your mom up?

>> sometimes, yeah. >> and when you do that, what do you tell her? >> uh, "i love you, mom." >> that always works. >> yeah. >> rosa, jacob, joey, and the dog are all in one room, right across the street. the neighbors took them in. we've seen a lot of that in our stories on the recessio neighbors, even strangers, opening homes to the homeless. we talked to the bravermans at the neighbor's house. they've been here three months, and that is starting to worry them. >> i want to give the neighbors their own privacy too, you know? i don't want to be invasive. >> so you miss your privacy from across the street. what else? >> sometimes, you know, i have to go to the bathroom at night, and here i have to be, like, really, really quiet, 'cause if i wake them up, i don't want to make them upset and get us kicked out. >> homeless kids tiptoe in a world of insecurity, hoping to be invisible. >> people said that i talk too much, and now they say that i don't talk enough and that

i'm really shy, i guess. >> you think all this has changed you? >> yeah, and i haven't realized it, but i think i've gotten very mature in a very short amount of time. >> look for the homeless in seminole county, and you'll find robert williams's family of five in one motel room. he and his wife lost their tourism jobs several months back. when angel abreau lost his construction job, he and his wife had to split their family among relatives. they see their three young children on weekends, and on sunday evenings, when we saw them, the good-byes are always painful. destiny corfee's family got out of that van and into a motel when her dad found a little day labor to scrape together a deposit on the room. he applied at car washes and at disney world and worked as a bricklayer's assistant, but it was nothing steady, and as the hotel bill came due, david was short. he found himself prepared to do

nearly anything to keep his family from being split apart by the homeless shelters. >> so as embarrassing as it was, i sat down with a magic marker, and i've seen these people on the road with these signs before, and i wrote a sign out. >> what did the sign say? >> it said, "please help, family of five." every truck that went by, i would holler up out to them or let them see my sign. "hey, do you need any help? you know, can i get a job? do you need any help?" >> i didn't think that it was gonna have to, like, come down to that. like, he was actually gonna go and take the sign and show it to people, and i don't want people to know, like, that i--he's my dad. like, i didn't think-- i don't want to be embarrassed by people. >> you must have thought that you would never be that guy, the guy with the sign. >> never and in a million years did i think that that would be me. and i told my wife, "this is america, and america is full of wonderful people, and i'm gonna go out and see what i can do and see if there's someone out there that can help us." >> he showed us the sign

that eventually caught the eye of a woman who stopped to say she might have a job for him. >> and sure enough, that phone rang about a week later. she said, "david, i'd like to tell you you're golden, that we have a job for you, and you can start friday." >> and that's where you got the hat? >> that's where i got the hat. >> the university of central florida. >> absolutely. and i've been wearing this hat ever since. >> he's a parking attendant. $10 an hour. and that's enough to keep the motel room, but not enough to get out. jorge dropped out senior year to look for work, but destiny is still being picked up on the school bus route for homeless kids. >> and when things get better again, we know that there are still people struggling, so we'll be able to help out a lot more, and we'll understand what they're going through. >> this opened your eyes to an america that you didn't know existed? >> mm-hmm. i can't--i can't believe it. >> like the kids who came out of the great depression, this generation is being shaped

by homelessness and hunger, but also by memories of neighbors who opened their homes and of families that refused to be broken. >> love you guys. >> love you too. >> love you, destiny. >> love you too. >> since our report first aired, the corfee family has been able to move out of the motel, so destiny no longer has to ride the motel school bus. rosa braverman and her son jacob moved into their own apartment, and in february, 2012, rosa gained certification as a medical assistant. but not all the news is positive. as of march, 2012, 48 of the 60 seminole county public schools operated food pantries on their premises, each of them sponsored by the local community to help students in need. [ticking] coming up, the deadly cost

of coal mining. >> he lost the top of his head. he had an o2 tank impaled through his body. the force was so magnificent, it shot him backwards so fast, it pulled his pants over top of his mining boots. >> the widows of harlan county when 60 minutes on cnbc returns. [ticking] i always wait until the last minute.

can i still ship a gift in time for christmas? yeah, sure you can. great. where's your gift? uh... whew. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. ship fedex express by december 22nd for christmas delivery. by december 22nd

try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase. the lightest 7" hd tablet

with the best screen for reading. magazines, books and now movies look better than ever before. and with individual profiles, it's one great tablet designed to be shared with the whole family. you just might not want to. introducing nook hd, the best 7" tablet for reading and entertainment. at barnes & noble and target. [ticking] >> coal is used to generate nearly half of our electricity, but all that power comes at a heavy human cost. back in 2006, there was a spike in american mining fatalities.

that year, 47 miners, 6 of them from harlan county in eastern kentucky, died. it was the deadliest year in more than a decade. as bob simon reported in march of 2007, some miners' widows, like melissa lee, believed their late husbands deserved more protection. >> jimmy loved the smell of coal. >> he loved the smell of coal? >> he would inhale, and he said, "do you smell that?" it was almost intoxicating to him. it was like a high rush, the smell of coal. >> so mining wasn't just a job for jimmy. >> no, it was his second home. he would always say it was time for him to leave me to go to his second wife, which was the mines. >> jimmy lee loved his job, but he also knew that mining was just about the only job he could find to support his family. harlan county is one of the poorest counties in the country. life revolves around church and family and the mines.

men, hundreds of them, have been dying in the mines here for generations. fewer have died in recent years, but mining still has the highest fatality rate of any job in the state. >> it's always been dangerous, and, um... people die. >> kent hendrickson is a lawyer who represents mine owners in harlan county. he agreed to talk to us, but, because of potential lawsuits, he declined to speak about specific accidents. >> now, when i was a kid growing up here, it was so commonplace, it was almost accepted. you wouldn't know a miner died unless you read his obituary, and, you know-- and it was almost a natural death. there wasn't-- a guy died of a heart attack, or he died in the mines. >> how would you explain to people who live far from harlan county why so many people have been killed around here in the last year? >> as far as i know at this point, it's a fluke.

>> so you think it's just been a string of bad luck? >> i think so. >> that explanation does not sit well with the widows of harlan county, who held a memorial service for their husbands. >> they were great men. they were awesome men. >> nine men died in four separate accidents in 2005 and 2006. the widows told us their husbands would still be alive if the mines had been safe. the deadliest accident took place at the kentucky darby mine. state investigators concluded that methane, undetected, leaked through a wall that had been improperly constructed to seal off an abandoned part of the mine. the gas was accidentally ignited by a blowtorch. the explosion was horrific and killed melissa lee's husband, jimmy. >> he lost the top of his head. he had an o2 tank impaled through his body. the force was so magnificent, it shot him backwards so fast,

it pulled his pants over top of his mining boots. it tore his hard hat into 45 different pieces. he laid dead and stepped over top of, not even recognizing it as a human body. he left me with two babies to raise by myself. >> jimmy's wedding ring was never recovered. >> he wasn't supposed to die yet. >> neither was stella morris's husband, bud. he died at harlan county's h&d mine after an underground coal car ran him over. >> from the reports, it said that it knocked his body in the bucket. you know, it amputated one leg and crushed the other. >> with the price of coal up dramatically, stella morris and the other widows say some mine operators in harlan county are sacrificing safety for profit. they say they see indications of that in the official report on the accident. in their report, investigators concluded that the coal car

that ran over bud morris was overloaded, obstructing the driver's visibility. their report also says that bud morris did not receive proper medical treatment from an owner of the mine who had been trained as a medic. >> they didn't elevate his legs. they didn't do the tourniquets properly. >> and your understanding is that if he'd been given a tourniquet, it might have been different? >> he would still be here today. he would have lost his legs, but he would still be here today. [ticking] >> coming up, bob simon goes underground. >> the tunnel is so long that miners don't walk to work. they squeeze into squat little rail cars called "man trips" for a 20-minute commute that feels less like disneyland and more like a ride into hell. >> that's ahead when 60 minutes on cnbc returns. [ticking]

♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the mercedes-benz winter event is back, with the perfect vehicle that's just right for you, no matter which list you're on. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease a 2013 ml350 for $599 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. at your local well, if itmr. margin?margin. don't be modest, bob. you found a better way to pack a bowling ball. that was ups. and who called ups? you did, bob. i just asked a question. it takes a long time to pack a bowling ball. the last guy pitched more ball packers. but you... you consulted ups. you found a better way. that's logistics. that's margin.

find out what else ups knows. i'll do that. you're on a roll. that's funny. i wasn't being funny, bob. i know. if you're a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness

or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com.

[ticking] >> in 2006, six miners were killed in coal mine accidents in harlan county, kentucky. although we made more than 100 requests, no one would let bob simon into a mine in harlan county. so to see firsthand how mining can be so dangerous, he visited a mine in neighboring pike county. >> is everybody all right? okay. >> the tunnel is 5 to 7 feet high and 20 feet across. you can hear the coal's ominous snap, crackle, and pop caused by the enormous weight of the mountain above us, pressing down on the coal seam. the tunnel is so long that miners don't walk to work. they squeeze into squat little

rail cars called "man trips" for a 20-minute commute that feels less like disneyland and more like a ride into hell. on both sides of the tracks, we saw rocks that had fallen from the ceiling. the black coal walls of the tunnel had been sprayed with crushed limestone to control the amount of coal dust in the air. coal dust can fuel explosions. it also causes a fatal illness, black lung disease. this is the face of the mine, two miles from the shaft and 1,400 feet underground, and this machine is called a continuous miner. it claws its way through the mountain, mining coal and digging a tunnel at the same time. it's a noisy operation, but we never felt unsafe. so much coal is moved so quickly in such confined spaces, however, that we did feel that almost anything could happen at any time. but this mine does have a good safety record,

and we noticed methane monitors showing low levels of the potentially dangerous gas. in harlan county, investigators will never know whether a methane reading was even taken before miners there used a blowtorch to deadly effect. but two women who were widowed in that accident say their husbands felt they were frequently asked to cut corners by mine management. mary middleton says her husband had to work six, sometimes seven days a week repairing broken equipment, usually with old parts. >> do you remember your last conversation with roy? >> i tried to get him to stay home. he was so tired, and i remember i was in the kitchen when he was getting his lunch ready, and i kept saying, "please just stay home." i just begged him, and he wouldn't. mary middleton and priscilla petra's husbands both died from carbon monoxide poisoning after the explosion. they were found wearing emergency breathing equipment, but state investigators concluded they had used less than 25% of their emergency oxygen supply. it is unclear from the report

why both men had plenty of oxygen and yet suffocated. priscilla petra believes the equipment must have been broken. >> i just know that if that had worked, he would have walked out of there. they weren't that far underground. they were under there, i'm not sure exactly how far, but they could have walked out of there had they had that-- the oxygen. >> i feel like these men are a dime a dozen in the coal operators' eyes. it's all-- it's all in the product. "we want the money. get the coal out, get the coal out, get the coal out. >> why do you think the families of the miners who died are blaming the mine operators to such an extent? why do you think they're so convinced that the mine operators were at fault here? >> it's always that way. it's never been different. if i had a family member who died in the mines,

i might feel the same way. that's an emotional response, and it's-- you want somebody to blame. >> are you saying that the reality is that the mine operators are not responsible for the fatalities? >> yes. i'll say that. >> kent hendrickson says that miners are often responsible for accidents, and some of them, he points out, go to work under the influence of drugs. toxicology reports show that both bud morris and the man who ran over him at the h&d mine had painkillers and illegal drugs in their systems. but the head of the federal mine safety and health administration, richard stickler, says mine operators are to blame for most accidents underground. >> the majority of the fatalities occur because of the lack of compliance with mine health and safety laws. >> by the operators? >> by the operators. >> stickler himself used to be a mine operator. >> the law holds the operator accountable for complying with all the laws and to seeing that the employees comply with the laws. >> there was nine deaths

in a period of ten months. not one of those men needed to die. not one of those accidents was not preventable. >> tony oppegard is a lawyer representing some of the widows of harlan county and has worked on mine safety issues for both the federal and kentucky governments. he says many small mines in harlan county are run unsafely, and he calls them "dog holes." he says this mine, the stillhouse mine, is one of them. two miners died here after the roof collapsed. when we were underground, we saw how miners try to prop up the roof after the coal is removed. it's considered the most dangerous job in the mine. in the stillhouse accident, investigators cited the operator for high negligence and reckless disregard and concluded that he had not followed an approved roof control plan. >> how did this mine operator stay in business? >> well, there is no mechanism under the federal law to shut a mine down. it doesn't--i mean, if you have a disaster today, as soon as that investigation is over, the mine's going to be reopened,

and you're going to be running coal again. >> the federal mine agency fined the stillhouse mine $360,000 after the fatal roof collapse there. but the mine, we found out, is appealing and has so far paid less than $3,200. >> there are mines that are-- continue to operate that have not paid their fines. >> how do operators get away with not paying their fines? >> well, there are a few that do. my understanding, from what i've seen, about 15% of the debt goes uncollected. >> but the figure is much higher at many mines with fatal accidents. almost 75% of the fines originally imposed on those mines have not been paid. the mines get courts to reduce the fines, and sometimes they just don't pay. relatively few mines are prosecuted when they don't pay their fines. >> and always remember the miners. when you see one, tell him, "you be careful." >> the widows of harlan county think the government has failed to make mine owners accountable for safety violations. >> thank you all. >> that's why melissa lee says she's speaking out, even though

she says it's caused trouble for her in the county. >> i was receiving phone calls, blocked calls, out of area phone calls, making ugly comments that i need to shut up, that i talk too much. >> why--who's calling you? who's making these threats and why? >> they don't give their names. i have men calling and saying, "you know, your kids catch the bus right down here below your driveway." >> this is because you are speaking out on mine safety? >> yeah. yeah. >> why don't you just kiss it all good-bye and just do something else with your life? >> because there's too many people still here in harlan county who have husbands underground, and if me speaking out keeps their sons safe, their grandsons safe, their son-in-laws safe, then i've done something good. my husband's death wasn't in vain. >> in september, 2008, the owners of the kentucky darby mine agreed to pay a $342,000 fine for violations that were found after the explosion that killed five miners,

but they've failed to pay the fine, claiming the mine was insolvent. in january, 2010, the u.s. mine safety and health administration won a court judgment that the owners must pay the fine plus further penalties and interest. as of april, 2012, the united states treasury department was still trying to collect the debt. [ticking] coming up, lining up for a lifeline. >> how long you been out here tonight? >> we got up at 3:00 this morning, and we got here about 4:00. we've been out here for a little while. it's cold. >> why'd you come so early? >> 'cause we wanted to be seen. >> that's ahead when 60 minutes on cnbc returns. [ticking] she keeps you guessing.

it's part of what you love about her. but your erectile dysfunction - you know, that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right.

you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. we've decided to we're all having such a great year in the gulf, put aside our rivalry. 'cause all our states are great. and now is when the gulf gets even better. the beaches and waters

couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride or just lay in the sun. enjoy the wildlife and natural beauty. and don't forget our amazing seafood. so come to the gulf, you'll have a great time. especially in alabama. you mean mississippi. that's florida. say louisiana or there's no dessert. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home.

>> remote area medical, or r.a.m. for short, is an american relief organization that air drops doctors and medicine into the jungles of the amazon. it sets up emergency clinics where the needs are the greatest. as scott pelley first reported in march of 2008, this charity, founded to help people who can't reach medical care, had found a new mission throwing america a lifeline. >> in a matter of hours, remote area medical

set up its massive clinic in an exhibit hall for a weekend in knoxville, tennessee. tools for dentists were laid out by the yard, optometrists prepared to make hundreds of pairs of glasses, general medical doctors set up for whatever might come through the door. nearly everything is donated, everyone is a volunteer, the care is free, but no one could say how many patients might show up. the first clue came a little before midnight, when stan brock, the founder of remote area medical, opened the gate outside the exhibit hall. the clinic wouldn't open for seven hours, but people in pain didn't want to chance being left out. state guardsmen came in for crowd control. they handed out what would become precious slips of paper. >> number six. >> okay. >> numbered tickets to board what amounted to a medical lifeboat. >> we brought some snacks and blankets with.

>> well, i hope you stay warm. it's kind of chilly tonight. >> it was 27 degrees. the young and the old would spend the night in their cars. at 5:00 a.m., we took a walk through the parking lot. >> how long you been out here tonight? >> we got up at 3:00 this morning, and we got here about 4:00. we've been out here for a little while. it's cold >> why'd you come so early? >> 'cause we wanted to be seen. >> marty tankersley came with his wife and his daughter, asleep behind the front seats. >> you drove 200 miles to get here? >> yes, sir. >> and slept in this parking lot for seven or more hours? >> yes, sir. >> just to have this done? >> yes, sir. i've been in some very excruciating pain. >> he had an infected tooth that had been killing him for weeks. most of the people who filled the lot heard about the clinic on the news or by word of mouth, and they came by the hundreds. >> we're very happy that you're here this morning.

we've got a lot of really fine volunteer doctors, dentists, eye specialists. >> stan brock calls r.a.m. clinics "medical expeditions." he takes all comers, but just for the weekend. >> when you set up the first expedition in the united states, were you surprised at the number of people who came? >> yes. yes, i was. and the numbers are getting higher, and i don't know if it's because we're getting better known, or that the health care in this country is getting worse. who's got number one? come on down. number one. number two? >> on saturday at 6:00 a.m., they entered by the numbers. >> number three? >> inside, 276 volunteers from 11 states were waiting. >> are you here for medical, dental, or vision? >> when was the last time you had a breast exam by a nurse or a doctor? never? >> 20 years ago. >> 20 years. >> 25 years ago. >> for those who were diagnosed with cancer today

or diabetes or heart disease, r.a.m. will try to find a volunteer doctor who will follow up. ross isaacs is one of the doctors. >> who are these patients? >> it's the working poor, middle of their lives, most with families, most not substance abusers, and employed without adequate insurance. >> dr. isaacs saw marty tankersley, the man we met in the parking lot who'd driven 200 miles. it turned out that tankersley, a few years back, had two heart attacks and heart surgery but almost no follow-up since. >> so you haven't seen somebody in a while with regards to your ticker and stuff? >> the tankersleys live in dalton, georgia. they fall in the category of the underinsured. marty's a truck driver. he has major medical insurance through his employer, but the deductible is $500, really unaffordable, and the dental insurance costs too much. no one really knows just how

many americans are underinsured like the tankersleys. >> he's the lucky one that could drive the 200 miles. he's the lucky one that got to see people today and get hooked in. there are tens of hundreds of thousands of people like him. >> marty, his wife, and daughter were seen for checkups, glasses, mammograms, and the yanking of that agonizing tooth. >> this has truly been a godsend to us, to me and my family and to all the hundreds of people that's here. i see the faces-- the relief in the faces. this has been a wonderful thing. [ticking] >> coming up, the stressful state of health care. >> for 50 million or so people in this country, the one thing that is on their mind is, "what if i have a catastrophic event, a car crash, a heart attack?"

>> because they don't have health insurance. >> because i either have no health insurance or i'm underinsured. >> lifeline continues when 60 minutes on cnbc returns. [ticking] i always wait until the last minute.

can i still ship a gift in time for christmas? yeah, sure you can. great. where's your gift? uh... whew. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. ship fedex express by december 22nd for christmas delivery.

executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ male announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a pro. he's going to apply testosterone to his underarm. axiron, the only underarm treatment for low t, can restore testosterone levels back to normal in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur.

tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com.

[ticking] >> r.a.m. took off in 1992, airlifting relief to latin america, and, at age 72, stan brock still flies the antique fleet. that c-47 flew on d-day. brock is british by birth, an adventurer at heart. he was a cowboy in the amazon and then, incredibly, he was discovered by tv's wild kingdom. brock was a star, sort of a naturalist daredevil. >> it took only a moment for the situation to totally reverse itself. >> brock is devoted to r.a.m.-- completely devoted. he has no family, takes no salary, has no home. brock lives in an abandoned school that the city of knoxville leases to r.a.m. for a dollar. until recently, he took showers in the courtyard with a hose. when we see what we've seen

over the last weekend, how do you pay for all of that? >> in the first place, we really know how to stretch the dollar. we operate entirely on the generosity of the american people. >> r.a.m. operates on a shoestring, about $250,000 a year. what have you accomplished today? >> well, we basically had 600 or so people that have arrived here overnight, and we were able to do just about everybody. i think we may have turned away about 15 people who are gonna come back tomorrow morning anyway. >> the next day, sunday, there were hundreds more. tickets started again with the number one. but now, the doctors were racing time. in hours, they'd be headed home. >> who's got 361? 362? 362. 363? >> and we're really glad that you came in, especially-- >> nurse practitioner teresa gardner was worried

about rebecca mcwilliams. mcwilliams had surgery for cervical cancer in 2005, but without the recommended follow-up. >> how long has it been? >> it's been two-- about two years since i've had my last pap smear, and i was supposed to have every six months, and i've really only had it once since that surgery. >> you know, i think many doctors would say you've taken a terrible risk... >> yeah. >> waiting this long. >> i really have, but it's just-- like i said, it's very hard to afford it. i have three kids, and my husband lost his job this past summer. >> mcwilliams's pap smear came back clear, but in her exam, gardner found reason to worry. >> i think, just from, you know, the clinical inspection of the cervix, that, you know, possibly, there is possibility of that cancer, you know, still being there. >> she's 28 years old. >> 28 years old, the mother of three. >> you've created this medical organization

that was designed to go into third world countries, to go into remote places, and now you're doing 60% of your work in urban and rural america. what are we supposed to make of that? >> that for 50 million or so people in this country, the one thing that is on their mind is, "what if i have a catastrophic event, a car crash, a heart attack?" >> because they don't have health insurance. >> "because i either have no health insurance or i'm underinsured." and so this is a very, very weighty thing to be thinking about, knowing that your family is in great jeopardy. 376, 377. 378. 379. 380. >> late on sunday, joanne ford's number was among the last to be called. we found her sitting by a stairwell. >> and you don't have that? >> well, no, not on a social security disability income.

>> she's retired, living on disability with no insurance, and her glasses don't work anymore. she got in only to find out that the vision care line had closed. >> how is your vision? >> i bet, in my left eye, it's probably-- i couldn't see your face. the lord'll take care of me. the lord will provide. the lord will provide. >> but not today. >> but not today. [laughs] so i got to look for another option, but i'll find one. >> what are you gonna do? >> i don't know. i have a lot of good friends, and i have a lot of church support. i was very active in my church, and i have a lot of friends at church. i just hate to ask. i've worked all my life. i hate to ask. that's why things like this are so wonderful. >> there is no shame in seeking health care.

>> no, you're right. you know, it really-- i am sad that we are the wealthiest nation in the world, and we don't take care of our own, so... but it will be okay. >> and it did turn out okay after all. >> stare right here. >> three. >> someone at r.a.m. noticed joanne's situation. they put her in the vision care line and examined her for a new pair of glasses. >> if i may have your attention, please. i'm afraid that we've got some rather disappointing news. >> but at the gate, many were waiting when the weekend ended. >> 449. and 450. >> in the expedition to knoxville, r.a.m. saw 920 patients, made 500 pairs of glasses, did 94 mammograms, extracted 1,066 teeth, and did 567 fillings.

but when stan brock called the last number, 400 people were turned away. what's going through your mind when you're reading off the last two or three numbers, and you see so many more people at the gate than are gonna be able to come in? >> yeah, well, you know, that's the lousy part of this job. i mean, it's nice, you know, to be able to know that you've helped a bunch of people, but the reality is that we can't do everybody. at the moment, we're just doing the thousands and thousands of people that we can, and the rest of them, unfortunately, have got to do the best they can without us. >> since our report first aired in march of 2008, remote area medical has received more than $2.5 million in donations. as a result, r.a.m. has been able to expand its operations. from its first field operations until then